NHL Game Preview: Vegas Golden Knights (8-3-0) vs. St. Louis Blues (4-4-1)

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Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Missouri

Puck drop: 8:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT)
TV: ABC32 / First Alert ABC (simulcast), Blue Note+, Scripps, STLNHL; Streaming options include ESPN+ in some markets

The Golden Knights, one of the top teams in the Western Conference, look to bounce back from a rare lopsided home loss while the Blues open a multi-game homestand with momentum from a recent win. This is the first of three scheduled meetings this season.

Injury Reports

Vegas Golden Knights

LW Victor Olofsson: Lower body/undisclosed, out (long-term IR elements reported).

D Parker Wotherspoon: Upper body, out (placed on IR/LTIR).

Additional depth notes include other non-roster or minor issues (e.g., Kai Uchacz).

St. Louis Blues

D Tyler Tucker: Knee, out.

D Logan Mailloux: Hand, out.

RW Alexey Toropchenko: Upper body, out (progressing, contact in practice, possible near-term return but misses this game).

C Dillon Dube: Neck, out (longer timeline).

LW Ross Johnston: Lower body, out.

D Torey Krug: Ankle, out (longer-term).

Additional notes on personal absences possible.

Both sides are dealing with defensive and forward depth absences. St. Louis has more significant blue-line attrition; Vegas is missing secondary scoring/depth.

Current Rosters & Projected Line Combinations

Vegas Golden Knights
Forwards

Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Mark Stone

Brett Howden – William Karlsson – Mitch Marner

Trevor Connelly – Tomas Hertl – Raphael Lavoie

Marc Gatcomb – Nic Dowd – Braeden Bowman

Defense

Shea Theodore – Brayden McNabb

Jeremy Lauzon – Rasmus Andersson

Dylan Coghlan – Noah Hanifin

Goaltenders: Adin Hill (expected/probable in rotation after strong early starts: 4-0-0, ~2.21 GAA) / Carter Hart. Scratches typically include Ville Heinola and Alexander Holtz.

St. Louis Blues (projected; same as recent win)
Forwards

Dylan Holloway – Robert Thomas – Jimmy Snuggerud

Connor McMichael – Mason McTavish – Jonatan Berggren

Jake Neighbours – Dalibor Dvorsky – Pavel Buchnevich

Aleksanteri Kaskimaki – Pius Suter – Otto Stenberg

Defense

Philip Broberg – Justin Barron

Adam Jiricek – Colton Parayko

Cam Fowler – Brandon Carlo

Goaltenders: Joel Hofer (expected after strong 32-save outing Tuesday; 3-2-1, ~2.19 GAA, .919 SV%) / Jordan Binnington.

Key active contributors: Eichel (team points leader with strong assist totals), Stone (goal streak and team goal lead), Marner (point streak) for Vegas; Holloway (point streak), Thomas, McTavish, and Broberg for St. Louis.

Recent Team Forms

Golden Knights: Entered the Tampa Bay game on a strong run but suffered a 6-2 home defeat (their most lopsided of the season). Overall excellent record with high scoring (~3.9 GF/GP, top-tier) and solid defense (~2.7 GA/GP). Power play strong (~25%). Road record positive early (3-1-0). They score in bunches when rolling.

Blues: Snapped a two-game skid with a 2-1 home win over Winnipeg to open the homestand (Hofer excellent; Broberg scored the winner). Even goal differential early. Strong PK (~85.7%). Home record solid (2-0-1). Offense capable (~3.2 GF/GP) but inconsistent on the road.

Series History

Vegas has dominated recent matchups, going 8-1-2 in the last 11 games against St. Louis dating to 2022-23. The Blues were 1-2-0 against Vegas last season (1-1-0 at home) and have struggled at Enterprise Center in some recent series. Power-play success has appeared in spots for St. Louis in prior meetings. First 2026-27 contest.

Key Player vs. Player Matchups

Jack Eichel / Mark Stone / Mitch Marner vs. Blues top pairs (Broberg-Barron, Parayko) and PK: Eichel’s playmaking, Stone’s finishing (recent goal streak), and Marner’s streak create constant pressure. St. Louis’ structure and Hofer will be tested.

Dylan Holloway / Robert Thomas / Mason McTavish vs. Vegas defense (Theodore-McNabb, Andersson): Holloway’s point streak and the Thomas line provide St. Louis’s best chance to generate against a high-end Vegas group.

Shea Theodore / power-play units vs. Blues penalty kill: Vegas PP ranks high; Hertl has been productive with the man advantage. Blues PK is a strength.

Goaltending: Hill (or Hart) vs. Hofer. Both have posted strong early numbers; Hofer’s recent form and home ice give St. Louis a potential edge in a tight game.

Physical play from Lauzon/Neighbours and secondary contributions from Karlsson or Buchnevich could matter in a competitive matchup.

Betting Trends

Vegas strong historically vs. St. Louis and as a favorite when scoring 3+. Blues competitive at home and have covered in spots. Totals have gone over frequently for Vegas early; recent Blues home games and some H2H have stayed lower. Public often backs the stronger road favorite.

Game Odds

Vegas Golden Knights    – 125

St. Louis Blues                   6

Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, October 21, 2026

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